In the first part of the near-death experience, those who have died and come back to life describe the dissociation of the mind or conscious self from the body. Many… The post... Read more »
So many BahaiTeachings.org readers responded to and liked and forwarded and commended and recommended and tweeted and re-tweeted our New Year’s Day article on spiritual New Year’s resolutions that we… The post... Read more »
Enthused about an idea for a project, I mentioned it to an acquaintance at an out-of-town event. She liked the idea and had some suggestions for follow-up — which meant we needed… The post... Read more »
Have you ever experienced a sudden conviction, a determination, that there is something you must do—that it isn’t even a choice? Did you ever think that maybe this was God… The post... Read more »
We’ve all felt our own anger, and we’ve probably all wondered, after the rage subsides, what to do about it. How can we control it, and move past it? “Where… The post... Read more »
Empathy and compassion are precious human values – but they can be diminished or even disappear because of cultural, racial, political, and religious pressure or through materialistic manipulation. In such… The post... Read more »
If ever there was a universal language in this world, it could be that of love. Regardless of age, race, nationality, gender or social status, we all want to be… The post... Read more »
Sanctify your ears from the idle talk of them that are the symbols of denial and the exponents of violence and anger. – Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 72.... Read more »
As a graduate student, I had a series of vivid, hyper-real dreams—so I decided to see if I could determine what they meant. How did I do it? I read voraciously about... Read more »
A friend of mine who is a devout Christian once wrote to me and asked the following questions. He wanted me to answer them based on the Baha’i Writings. Below… The post... Read more »
On a music streaming service this morning, I happened to hear one of the many recorded versions of the song “No Man Is an Island,” which I remembered singing it at summer… The post... Read more »
Having grown up in the tradition of the Baha’i Faith, regular daily devotions were always part of our household practice – including my parents saying prayers with me from a… The post... Read more »
I was intrigued by a profound statement from Abdu’l-Baha: The reality of man is his thought, not his material body. The thought force and the animal force are partners. Although… The post... Read more »
The Baha’i teachings say that until the era when we achieve gender equality and universal education, we cannot even imagine the full spiritual powers an intergenerational family will reveal. In… The post... Read more »
Achieving our true spiritual station and practicing justice is a tall order, and will be extremely difficult to achieve without prayer. Prayer has the power not only to transform our… The post... Read more »
Have you ever wondered why you exist? Of course you have – that question occurs, at some point, to all of us. Science asks it, too, usually in this macro… The post... Read more »
These days, more and more people are identifying with the term “feminist” to show their support for women. While there is an increased popularity in being a feminist and proclaiming the equality... Read more »
On August 26th, the day in 1920 when the United States certified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote, Americans observe Women’s Equality Day. In other... Read more »
Baha’is belong to the world’s newest major Faith, founded by Baha’u’llah, a 19th Century Persian mystic, prophet and prisoner who taught the unity of all nations, races and religions. The Baha’i Faith... Read more »
My friend is a materialist—that is to say, he accepts as reality only that which can be perceived by the senses. Are you a materialist, too? If so, along with my friend... Read more »
The sacred writings of Baha’u’llah, who lived from 1817 to 1892, extend from 1852, the year of the inception of the Baha’i Faith, to 1892, the year of his ascension – 40... Read more »
The recent pandemic has highlighted the glaring disparities in the economic system between the rich and the poor. On the one hand, we have the plight of poor people living under the... Read more »
I’ve tried to strengthen my faith through earnest seeking, through more or less constant reflection and prayer, and in trying to do right. Isn’t that the essence of all religious teachings? Scripture... Read more »
I am a white American woman who has, for most of my life, been oblivious to my white privilege — those benefits that accrue to me simply because of my pale skin. ... Read more »
Do natural disasters mean that God is mad at humanity? This subject is too big for a text conversation, yet a friend and I began sharing some random thoughts via… The post... Read more »
How do we move towards a more inclusive reality beyond the trappings of adversarial partisan politics? We might want to try these six unity-building principles from the Baha’i teachings. They aren’t answers... Read more »
Streaking across the heavens in 1843, a great comet alarmed many and served to validate the belief of others that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent. In that same year, poet... Read more »
We spend nearly one-third of our lives sleeping and we can’t function physically without it. But I’ve often wondered if there is also a spiritual reason we need to sleep — and... Read more »
The principal teaching of the Baha’i Faith is the oneness of humanity. Baha’u’llah wrote, “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens” over 100 years ago. By now, we can... Read more »
During this unprecedented time in history, I find myself reflecting on my life’s purpose and my mortality. More than ever, I feel the need to focus on preparing myself for the next... Read more »
When a baby is born into this world, she “dies” with respect to the warm comfortable mother’s womb where she has happily lived for nine months. She leaves that life forever as... Read more »
Night descended on Yosemite National Park, the beginning of a twilight adventure for our family. We groped in the backpack for a flashlight, quickly shined it on the paved path, and then... Read more »
If you’re like me, you’ve spent some time in recent months and years feeling ineffective – because of the seemingly intractable problems we humans face as a result of endemic injustice and... Read more »
Our families are the building blocks of society, and where we can start to build uncompromising unity — it’s where we have the opportunity to model and live out our faith in... Read more »
I recently came across this old 1974 photo of me, aged 22, holding my new baby son Will. Sometime late that month, 50 years ago, I made the most momentous decision of... Read more »
During my half-century as a university professor and publishing scholar, I devoted a good deal of time to an obvious but puzzling question: If we presume an omnipotent Creator exists, why did... Read more »
I held Darwin’s food bowl out to him. It was breakfast time at PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary, usually Darwin’s favorite time of day. He hung his head and turned away. Darwin had come... Read more »
The miracle of childbirth transforms people. Parents and grandparents feel mesmerized watching each infant emerge and evolve into an intelligent, creative being with unique personality traits and proclivities. We wonder: What is... Read more »
According to the Sleep Foundation, most people dream for around two hours every night. Dreaming is a universal experience, regardless of whether or not you remember them upon waking. RELATED: A Spiritual... Read more »
When I reflect on the Baha’i teachings, which stunningly prefigure many of the discoveries of modern physics, I see an interesting pattern. As a physicist, I’ve noticed that most of the clearest... Read more »
Have you been seeing lime green ribbons tied to trees this month? Those would be in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Awareness Month (MHA) was first observed in the... Read more »
Have you ever had a terrible boss or colleague, one who had obviously forgotten they were no longer in middle school? Workplace bullying sadly happens on a different level than in middle... Read more »
Conscience is a thousand swords. – Shakespeare There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts. – Gandhi There comes... Read more »
At their peak, religion and psychotherapy become one. – Marianne Williamson When we were both in graduate school, I asked a friend of mine to tell me about his religion. He said... Read more »
The Baha’i writings emphatically state that mental health struggles are separate from the life of the soul: “The soul of man is exalted above and is independent of all infirmities of the... Read more »
Have you ever heard people talk about “the dark night of the soul?” I’m not sure if I had before, but when you go through the hardest period of your life, you... Read more »
Prayer is the sweetest state in the world. Through prayer, we converse and commune with the Architect of the Universe — our Creator who knows us better than we know ourselves. RELATED:... Read more »
Starting today, and for the next twelve days, Baha’is all around the world will celebrate Ridvan, which means “paradise,” the holiest and most joyous time of the Baha’i year. Pronounced rez-vahn, the... Read more »
Say the phrase “world peace” in mixed company and you’ll likely get a few scoffing dismissals, chuckles, or skeptical side-eye glances. Apparently many people see a peaceful world as an unachievable dream.... Read more »
“Tie your camel, but trust in God.” That’s not exactly how the saying goes; The original Islamic Hadith – a collection of sayings from the prophet Muhammad — states the reverse: “Trust... Read more »